CAREER: FET: A Top-down Compilation Infrastructure for Optimization and Debugging in the Noisy Intermediate Scale Quantum (NISQ) era

该项目设定了一个全面的研究议程，重点是构建一个自顶向下的量子计算编译基础设施。它将开发理论和实践方法，以实现高级算法优化，低级脉冲优化以及整个系统的调试和分析。编译堆栈将促进自动资源高效的量子算法设计和近期量子设备上的高保真程序执行。它将有利于量子化学和组合优化等重大量子计算应用，并有助于美国在量子信息科学和技术方面的领导地位。研究成果将通过开源软件包、在顶级会议和期刊上发表文章、教学研讨会上的教程以及专门的K-12计划广泛传播，以使年轻一代接触量子信息研究的前沿。该项目将整合经典计算领域的方法，如代码生成和优化、编程语言设计和实现、和编译技术，以解决量子编程，优化和调试中的独特研究挑战。具体目标包括：1）一种语言和一个自动调优编译器，用于在量子计算领域自动进行资源高效的算法开发; 2）一个脉冲级编译基础设施，用于利用脉冲变化和调度的丰富自由度，实现更有效的优化和错误缓解; 3）通过系统的基于投影的运行时断言和量子编程的不变式生成，提供高级测试和调试支持。该研究议程的成功将使一个更完整和有效的软件栈，以提高在近期设备上支持端到端量子应用的可行性。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project sets a comprehensive research agenda focusing on the construction of a top-down compilation infrastructure for quantum computing. It will develop theoretical and practical methodologies for enabling high-level algorithmic optimization, low-level pulse optimizations, as well as whole-system debugging and analysis. The compilation stack would facilitate automatic resource-efficient quantum algorithm designs and high-fidelity program executions on near-term quantum devices. It will benefit major quantum computing applications such as quantum chemistry and combinatorial optimization and contribute to the leadership of the United States in quantum information science and technology. The research findings will be widely disseminated through open-source software packages, publications in premier conferences and journals, tutorials at teaching workshops, as well as specialized K-12 programs for exposing the young generation to the frontiers of quantum information research.The project will integrate methods from the classical computing fields such as code generation and optimization, programming language design and implementation, and compilation techniques, to address the unique research challenges in quantum programming, optimization, and debugging. Specific targets include 1) A language and an autotuning compiler to automate resource-efficient algorithm development in the quantum computing domain; 2) A pulse-level compilation infrastructure to exploit the abundant freedom in pulse variation and scheduling towards more effective optimization and error mitigation; 3) Advanced testing and debugging support via systematic projection-based runtime assertion and invariant generation for quantum programming. The success of this research agenda will enable a more complete and efficient software stack for improving the feasibility of supporting end-to-end quantum applications on near-term devices.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.